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Book Review: I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

→Laura's Book Review Caveat: I don't usually tend to hate books, (and if I do I just stop reading them so I wouldn't review them anyways) so you won't see me ranting and railing on any here. I tend to read books as a spectator of sorts to the creative work the author has done; I try to be respectful of that. I don't consider myself an authority on literature, just a grateful consumer with an opinion. The opinions I do share are my own musings from who-I-am/where-I'm-at in my life...both of which are obviously constantly evolving. Take my thoughts for what they're worth to you.←

I AM MALALA by Malala Yousafzai (and Christina Lamb)

What It’s About:

It’s about Malala! Haha. She’s the youngest nominee for the Nobel
Peace Prize in history for her outspokenness and activism from such a young age
about the right that women have to education, particularly in her home country
of Pakistan. This book tells her story, growing up in her beautiful Swat
Valley, inspiredand supported by her
father’s view of education, and then watching the Taliban gain power and
destroy the lives and homes of her and her people. She ended up being shot
point-blank at 16 years old by a member of the Taliban for her high-profile
opinions and lived to tell the tale and continue her courageous work.

What I loved:

I found Malala’s story SO fascinating and inspiring. Hearing
of how the leader of the Tailban in her area rose to power sounds VERY
Hitler-like: gaining favour during a vulnerable time, spouting hope and
promises, and then slowly cinching up the chains until it was too late to
escape.

It gave me a soft spot for the people of Pakistan and their
beautiful culture. I loved hearing about her life pre-Taliban and how her faith
helped her pull through difficulties in her life.

I loved that I was able to see post-9/11 incidents from her
perspective, and also from the perspective of others in Pakistan(that she didn’t necessarily share, but could
empathize with). It was good to have more light and understanding shed on those
complicated circumstances.

I loved her honesty and straightforwardness, her willingness
to be bold and be herself.

What I didn’t love:

I honestly can’t really think of anything; I love memoirs
and human stories. Sometimes I got lost in the history as she was running me
through it because I didn’t have a great understanding in the first place to
give some context to adhere to in my brain, but she laid it out simply enough
that even I got it eventually.

Also, reading about how vicious and cruel the Taliban were
is pretty horrifying. It made me so grateful for my life and freedom.

I’d recommend this book if:

You wanted greater compassion and understanding for Pakistan
or middle eastern countries in general, or during the post-9/11 timeframe in particular; if
you wanted to be inspired by a young girl's bravery and her father’s pioneering
spirit in education for girls and women; or if you don’t really know much about
Malala and why she’s so special and want to get to know her story better….then
I definitely recommend picking it up!